Chinese Official Criticizes US for Handling of Uighur Case

A top Chinese official is criticizing the United States for not handing over five Chinese Muslims recently released from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The men from China's Uighur ethnic minority group arrived in Albania last weekafter U.S. officials found they posed no threat to the United States. They said the men could not be sent back to China because they would face persecution.

China's Parliament Vice Chairman Ismail Amat said Friday that the way the U.S. handled the case is unacceptable.

China is demanding that Albania hand over the Chinese Muslims, who are now seeking asylum in the Balkan country. Albanian officials say they are processing the asylum requests.